Message from the Mayor
Noosa Shire is a destination for everyone and we are doing our very best to make it an accessible destination as well. Noosa residents really love the place where they live and want other people to be able to love it as well. To this end we are encouraging local businesses to become access-friendly, have published our Access Friendly Noosa Guide and even have beach wheelchairs.
Lots of the information you may need you will find on this website. Hope it helps you to have a great holiday.
Bob Abbot,
Mayor of Noosa
Recent history of Council achievements for universal access
In 1997 Council formed a Disabled Access Reference Group with the goal of developing a Disability Action Plan to advise Council on necessary amendments to development approval, design documentation and construction standards to provide for disabled access.
A meticulously drafted Disabled Action Plan was adopted in mid-1998 for community consultation. The draft covered physical concerns such as wheelchair access to housing, public buildings and roadworks and addressed issues such as the establishment of a voluntary database of disabled residents and the facilitation of an ongoing forum of consumers and service providers.
In the year 2000 Council completed a comprehensive audit by staff members of accessibility across public areas of the Shire and announced a five-year rolling programme of equitable access projects.
Noosa Equitable Access Reference Group
Following the audit the Noosa Equitable Access Reference Group was formed. The group comprised local residents who have a physical disability, care for a disabled person, or are service providers for those with disability. The group met on a monthly basis at Noosa Council and oversighted Councils access initiatives.
2007 update
The original Noosa Equitable Access Reference Group has now reached all its objectives of raising awareness of the importance of the physical access to premises, parks and facilities within the Council domain and has been reformed with a more strategic focus.
The group is very conscious of the fact that equity is not only for people with disability, but for the community as a whole. Naturally people with disability will continue to have an important focus. For instance, Council has been made aware of the opportunities and benefits of an all-abilities playground and is working towards developing such a playground in Cooroy.
Access to the internet, and not forgetting those who do not have access to the internet, is among the more strategic equity issues being considered by the new group, as access is important for people to be keep informed and have the opportunity of "having their say" on issues that concern them.
"We do understand the real meaning of equity." Cr June Colley
Access initiatives
- Access Friendly Noosa Guide
- A guide to shopping, dining, accommodation, sight seeing and the many attractions of Noosa Shire. Contains maps of all shopping areas of the Shire indicating accessibility of every building and services such as disabled parking, telephones, ATMs etc. Also includes a directory on holiday accommodation providing disabled rooms, businesses which are disabled friendly and other services which may be required by those with physical disabilities. The first edition of this publication is now in short supply and due for another print run, but copies are still available from Council's Community Development Section on 5449 5100 or by emailing pao@noosa.qld.gov.au
- Beach wheelchairs
- Three beach wheelchairs are available for a simple gold coin donation. They are located at Noosa Main Beach (contact Tingirana Resort), Noosaville Foreshore (contact T-Boats Hire) and Lake Cootharaba, Boreen Point (contact Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club).
- Noosaville foreshore
- Improvements to the Noosaville Foreshore area were made with disabled access as a major priority. The new architect-designed toilet block incorporates wheel-chair friendly access and a ramp onto the beach area near T-Boats enables the beach wheelchair to access the sand and river.
- Tewantin streetscape upgrade
- The recent construction of the town square includes kerb-free disabled parking and tactile tiles - a necessity for safety for those with a visual disability using a cane.
- Automation of entrance doors to Council building
- Council have modified the two street entrances to the Council building by automating the front doors. This has benefited, not only those with limited mobility, but also mothers with prams and the elderly.
- Equitable access improvement plan
- The Equitable Access Reference Group has implemented a system whereby requests for improvements to Council property such as footpaths, kerbing and disabled car parking bays can be quickly fed into the Council Works Directorate. This has resulted in many recent improvements around the Noosa Junction area in particular.
- Access audits
- Members of the Reference Group undertake access audits of any businesses interested in improving access. These audits are to measure the level of "practical" access. Those deemed accessible are given Council decal stickers to display on their shop fronts.
- Drafting of the Noosa Council Equitable Access Action Plan
- This plan is currently being prepared by Council staff and will be lodged with the Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission when completed. It will detail a five-year action plan to progressively improve access to all Council facilities.
- Continual upgrading of Council halls and public toilets
- An annual program to ensure all Council Community Halls have disabled toilets and access ramps. New public toilets will all have disabled toilets.
- Disabled car parking on private land
- The Reference Group is currently developing a strategy to combat the misuse of disabled car parks on private land within local shopping centres. This initiative, supported by Noosa Fair, Noosa Plaza and Noosaville Shopping Centres, will be trialled over the 2003-2004 Christmas/New Year period.
In July 2003 during Disability Action Week, Noosa Council endorsed its new policy on Access and Equity, incorporating a Vision Statement that acknowledges people with disabilities 'have the same rights as others and aims to ensure equity through non-discriminatory, inclusive practices'.
Mayor Bob Abbot congratulated the community based Noosa Equitable Access Reference Group, local business people and Council's Community Development staff, who had worked on this project over the past year, saying he shared their confidence that it will provide a valuable source of information for those with disabilities. "Noosa residents, community groups catering to those with disabilities and all our visitors will benefit from this information" said Cr. Abbot. "Bearing in mind that one in four Australians has a disability, Noosa Council is committed to an ongoing programme of works to improve accessibility Shire wide. Noosa is an enlightened community, determined both to maintain its enviable lifestyle and environment, and to improve accessibility so that everyone can enjoy it. I hope this now includes you."
Universal access advocate Cr June Colley comments that the Policy commits Council to 'strive to ensure equitable access to the facilities, amenities and services of the Shire for all its residents and visitors.'
The policy was developed in consultation with the Noosa community and other relevant stakeholders, incorporating objectives to ensure all Council policies and practices accord with Commonwealth and State Disability Discrimination Acts and that all Council employees are appropriately trained on the policy as well as legislative requirements.
A commitment is also made that the Council built environment and building code comply with legislation, that over the next 10 years Council refurbish older and heritage buildings to meet minimum access requirements wherever possible and that community information be available in a variety of formats to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities. To ensure Noosa stays ahead of the ball, the policy will be reviewed no later than 2006 (and/or whenever amendments are made to relevant legislation).
Copies are accessible on Council's website at www.noosa.qld.gov.au or from Beth Potter on 5449 5361.